Early life stress in fathers improves behavioural flexibility in their offspring

摘要: Traumatic experiences in childhood can alter behavioural responses and increase the risk for psychopathologies across life, not only exposed individuals but also their progeny. In some conditions, such however be beneficial facilitate appraisal of adverse environments later life. Here we expose newborn mice to unpredictable maternal separation combined with stress (MSUS) 2 weeks assess impact on behaviour offspring when adult. We show that MSUS male favours goal-directed behaviours flexibility adult offspring. This effect is accompanied by epigenetic changes involving histone post-translational modifications at mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) gene decreased MR expression hippocampus. Mimicking these pharmacologically vivo reproduces phenotype. These findings highlight early have adulthood, implication modes regulation.